


Can You Feel The Love Tonight (Chaelisa)

by Dreamofshadows



Series: Legends snapshots (Chaelisa and Jensoo) [1]
Category: BLACKPINK (Band), Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Alternate Universe - Historical, Comfort, Everyone is basically gay even if it's not allowed, F/F, First Kiss, Fluff, Historical, Historical Fantasy, Kissing, Lion King (1994) References sorta....., Love Confessions, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Song: Can You Feel The Love Tonight (Disney), and a cult, jennie and rosie have powers, jennie is the empress, jisoo is her general, joy yeri wendy and seulgi are soldiers, lisa is the captain, supposedly set in Joseon Era, there's a griffin mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:48:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25210402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamofshadows/pseuds/Dreamofshadows
Summary: for some context:Lisa was tasked to be rosie's guardian since rosie developed fire powers. some stuff happened and rosie once got kidnapped by a cult but lisa saved her. more stuff happened and trouble was brewing in some villages so lisa had to go away to fight the uprisings. but now she's coming back home. she and rosie will talk. some stuff will probably go over your heads because the story isn't written yet so there's no way to reference earlier events :P and that's okay, roll with it.oh also lisa used to hate jisoo (emphasis on used to), used to crush on jennie (emphasis on used to) and was banished before she returned home after she was cursed by the gods for something. she has a lot on her plate.
Relationships: Jennie Kim/Kim Jisoo, Kim Yerim | Yeri/Park Sooyoung | Joy, Lalisa Manoban | Lisa/Park Chaeyoung | Rosé
Series: Legends snapshots (Chaelisa and Jensoo) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2004592
Comments: 2
Kudos: 54





	Can You Feel The Love Tonight (Chaelisa)

**Author's Note:**

> this is a scene i have in mind for a chaelisa historical fic that i will write one day once i get the ongoing fics done (meaning in like ten years or so) but yeah. recently i thought about this fic a lot and got around to writing some scenes for it as well.
> 
> and i thought...well, i wanna post it. even if it's like a huge spoiler and giveaway but oh well :P
> 
> the fic already exists on wattpad as 'The Legends of the Crescent Moon Rings' but i'm thinking of changing the title to simply 'Legends' and also unpublishing those two chapters to rework the story. for now, they'll stay if you wanna check'em.

Jisoo and Jennie rushed out to the terrace as Joy, Wendy and Yeri ran up to them. Distant shouts and urgent calls rang out as guards and servants scattered about in frenzy, scurrying to announce the news throughout the palace.

"Telescope!" Jisoo snapped, unable to mask the excitement in her voice. "Someone fetch me something, I need to confirm with my own eyes!"

When the said instrument was delivered to Jisoo, Jennie, Joy, Yeri and Wendy crowded around her eagerly.

"Jagi, is it really them?" Jennie asked, squinting towards the horizon where a cloud of dust spiralled up to the sky, indicating an approaching mass of people. Whether friend or foe, they had as yet to tell.

Jisoo pursed her lips, vision tunnelling towards the speck that was growing larger and larger. She focused on the two persons leading the army on horseback.

And then she suddenly smiled and lowered the telescope. "It's them."

That was all the confirmation they needed before Jennie sprang on Jisoo, crying happily. Joy and Yeri pounced on Wendy and sandwiched the poor girl between them, suffocating her jubilantly before Jennie's question made them all pause.

"Wait, where's Chaeyoung?"

"Last I heard, she said she was going to the garden?" Wendy put in.

For a split-second nobody said a word until one by one, a sly grin made its way to their faces and they all nodded in mutual agreement.

"Let's leave her—"

"She'll get a surprise—"

"Nobody make a peep—"

"This is going to be delicious—"

"They'll thank us, both of them—"

"Poor Chaeng has been pining for so long I wonder what Lisa will be like though—"

"Oh trust me, she's just as whipped—"

And thus they went about preparing for Lisa and Seulgi's return as quietly as possible, even berating staff to minimise the chatter and flurry of excitement lest they alerted Chaeyoung.

Meanwhile hidden away amongst the green, a blissfully oblivious Park Chaeyoung went about her day blithely tending to the flowers: humming, weeding, trimming, admiring, pruning, frowning whenever she saw some ailing plant and grunting as she tirelessly carried buckets of water back and forth from the well.

>

Lisa's return was nothing short of triumphant as all the townspeople gave her the welcome she deserved while the parade of returning soldiers marched through the streets towards the palace. The loud fanfare and raucous cheering was deafening but Lisa smiled demurely, taking it all in.

"A bit boisterous, if you ask me," Seulgi commented as they waved and nodded to people cheering sand shouting from the side. "But you fully deserve it. The coast is now secured."

"Couldn't have done it without your help, Gi," Lisa returned with a tired and satisfied smile as she patted Leo.

She turned her gaze towards the palace in the distance, with its magnificent pavilions and ornamental architecture that stood out above the imposing walls.

And behind those walls a certain fiery blonde awaited her, or so Lisa hoped. _Soon Chaeyoung, soon. You won't have to wait for me anymore, princess._

"Nervous?" Seulgi asked shrewdly as though she read Lisa's mind.

"Sort of," Lisa admitted as her mind ran to Chaeyoung for the umpteenth time, impatient to see her again and drown in a sea of honey brown.

Being in battle again and flexing her warrior skills had been exhilarating and thrilling, but Lisa was now looking forward to spending quiet times away from other people, away from the noise and din and smell of smoke and blood.

The garden she worked on sounded like heaven right now, an oasis of peace, and she couldn't wait to visit it with Chaeyoung.

They had so much to talk about and catch up on but Lisa didn't mind at all. Trotting though the streets where the people that once shunned her were now praising and celebrating in her honour felt like she had at last completed her punishment for her past errors and was finally allowed to seek out her own happiness.

In the past few weeks, setbacks had hampered Lisa many times, and her brushes with death were frequent, as much as she tried to be careful to not get hurt because Chaeyoung always got upset by her recklessness. The enemy was fierce and more aggressive than they anticipated. But Lisa persevered: for Jisoo, who had complete trust in her; for Jennie, because the Empress cared about her people; for her comrades who fought bravely by her side; and for Chaeyoung, because Lisa knew she loved her and needed to stay alive long enough to tell her face to face and then kiss her like she had done that first time she confessed. 

Lisa closed her eyes to enjoy the sun's rays warming her face. Even Heaven for once seemed to be smiling down upon her, graciously granting her bliss

"It's good to be home, Seulgi."

>

The gates opened before Lisa, welcoming her in as she led the triumphant party into the palace main courtyard.

Waiting to receive them was Jennie, decked out in her most impressive hanbok and head piece, flanked by several guards. A row of drummers on either side of the courtyard started up a rhythmic tattoo, quietening the few sputters of cheers as Lisa approached the Empress then climbed down from her horse, joined by Seulgi.

Lisa went down on one knee in reverence, her arm crossed over chest with her head bowed. "I have returned, my liege. Our mission was successful and the coast is secured."

"Arise, Captain," Jennie said. Lisa heard the smile in her voice and something suspiciously like pride as well.

Jennie turned to her audience. "You have all performed admirably for your country and our people. Goryeo is indebted to you for your services. And now, I'm sure you wish to be reunited with your loved ones and to rest. You are all henceforth dismissed but I will see you all tonight for a banquet to celebrate your achievements."

As the square burst into ear-splitting applause and cheers, Jennie nodded at Lisa and Seulgi. "As for you two, I would like to discuss with you privately in my quarters."

>

"Come here, you rascals!"

Lisa and Seulgi buckled beneath the combined weight of the bodies pressing down on them as Jisoo, Jennie, Joy, Yeri and Wendy flung themselves upon the pair, laughing and chattering nineteen to a dozen. Jennie had waited until they were all congregated in her quarter before they had attacked Seulgi and Lisa with ferocious hugs and noisy exclamations of jubilation. 

"You guys stink," Yeri commented at one point, pinching her nose in faux disgust and grinning when Lisa shoved her.

"You did it Manoban," Jisoo grinned for the twentieth time, nudging her shoulder affectionately.

Lisa smiled back. "Couldn't have done it without Seulgi. And Yeri, I'm glad you're okay now."

Yeri saluted as Joy pecked her on the cheek. The gesture warmed Lisa's heart, immediately reminding her of the girl she was dying to see.

"Say, uh...you don't happen to know where Chaeyoung is by any chance?" Lisa tried saying casually but her shuffling feet scuffing her toes betrayed her impatience. Jisoo glanced at Jennie as they fought to stifle their smiles.

"Hmm I don't know..."

"Haven't seen her..."

"Come to think of it, I was too busy watching Yerim's fine assets to focus on Chaeng, sorry Lisa," Joy winked, cottoning on.

"Perv," Yeri laughed before turning with a cloyingly sweet smile to the agitated captain. "'Fraid I haven't seen her at all today Cap'n."

"Yeah, me neither I was helping Cookie," Wendy chimed in.

Lisa closed her eyes in exasperation, a seed of doubt flourishing in her chest quickly.

_Chaeyoung must have heard all the din, or seen all the people coming out to greet them. Maybe she really wasn't bothered about Lisa? Maybe Lisa had read all the signs wrong? Maybe she was hoping all for nothing?_

Lisa snapped her eyes open quickly as Seulgi chuckled next to her.

"Manoban, you're too easy," Seulgi teased, "go the the garden. I bet that's where she is and she didn't even hear all the hullabaloo. She gets so invested in her flowering she doesn't even notice anything else..."

"Well uh I'll see you guys later then," Lisa said, backing towards the door, "I should greet her or she'll be annoyed I didn't let her know I'm back."

"Sure Lisa, sure," they all chorused with a smirk and Lisa fled.

>

Lisa came to a stop at the moon gate, panting lightly. She had thankfully not met many people on the way because right now she really didn't want to be stopped and congratulated, too intent on see Chaeyoung again. Cookie had confirmed Chaeyoung was indeed at the garden which was all the information Lisa needed to immediately jog through the royal gardens, past the vegetable patches and fruit sections until she reached her garden.

And then Lisa saw her.

Lisa held her breath as a plethora of emotions washed upon her the moment her gaze found Chaeyoung amongst the assortment of green: tawny blonde hair swept up in a messy bun, with strands dangling down the nape of her milky neck. Chaeyoung was bent over some geraniums, caressing the petals, oblivious to Lisa's presence as she hummed under her breath and worked steadily with a trowel in one hand. 

Meanwhile Lisa was struggling to string words together and speak, standing still as a cormorant.

She simply didn't know how to start, what to say, how to say it. _So much for telling Seulgi that she would be able to tell Chaeyoung what she felt the moment she was standing in front of Chaeyoung—if she couldn't even summon the courage to speak to Chaeyoung's back, how would she ever even talk when Chaeyoung's brown eyes looked upon her again?_

After two months of not seeing the girl she had yearned so much to see, she was rendered speechless as all the long nights of reminiscing came crashing back: the nights spent nursing stinging scratches earned from the daily battles where life and death sometimes hung in the balance; the nights spent thinking of how much time they both wasted which could have been spent getting to know each other; the nights spent thinking of Chaeyoung, Chaeyoung, and nothing but Chaeyoung: her kind heart, her warm smile, her sassy acerbic wit, her beautiful laugh, her bravery, her fearlessness, the way her eyes crinkled, the way her nimble fingers moved to make clay figurines, the way she swam like a graceful fish, the way her hair flew in the breeze, the way her face was set in utter concentration during training, the way she grew so worried when Lisa feigned being burnt by her fire, her vulnerable side that made Lisa want to swaddle her in a blanket and hide her from the world as she kissed her endlessly...

Lisa woke up more often than not with drool all over the surface she had been resting her face on.

As Lisa stood and stared, she suddenly grew aware that Chaeyoung had stopped humming and was instead speaking, addressing the flowers themselves.

"It's a lovely day isn't it?" Chaeyoung asked, "I'm feeling a little bit more hopeful that Lisa will come back soon because the fires must have died out. I can't smell them anymore. It's horrid, really, the smell of smoke from battles. It's like when I was taken too. But enough of that. You probably don't want to hear negative things, don't you? I'll tell you something positive to help you grow more, you're getting along nicely. I like your fragrance a lot. Oh don't worry lilies and peonies, your fragrance is so nice too. Hmm, you don't suppose Lisa has a particular favourite flower? Or fragrance? I wonder what flower Lisa likes best..."

It was the perfect cue for Lisa, grinning broadly, to quietly step up behind Chaeyoung, causing her shadow to fall on the crouching girl.

"I heard she has two favourites," Lisa said, smiling as Chaeyoung stiffened then quickly turned around. "There's a foreign flower she saw once on her travels called edelweiss, and she also likes the pink rose. What about you?"

Chaeyoung opened and closed her mouth like fish, eyes round as saucers before she jumped into Lisa's arms with a squeal. "LISA!"

"The one and only," Lisa laughed, thrilled to have Chaeyoung welcome her so enthusiastically. She caught Chaeyoung and held her close, swaying them slowly from side to side as Chaeyoung laughed right next to her ear, with her chin resting on Lisa's shoulder and her arms wound tight around Lisa's middle. 

Lisa's heart all but seized up when she perceived a second heartbeat drumming alongside her own and muffled by layers of clothes: it was Chaeyoung's distinct heartbeat, strong and bounding like hers.

And she had never sensed it before, not like this.

Their hearts were beating in joyful synchronisation, reflecting their owners state of enrapture as Lisa held Chaeyoung and closed her eyes, breathing in the sweet smell of lavender that she dearly missed.

"You're back," Chaeyoung whispered shakily when their euphoria subsided and Lisa lowered Chaeyoung on the ground. Both girls bashfully stepped back, embarrassed of their display as though they were lovers reunited.

_Lovers._

Chaeyoung banished the thought away as she blushed. Lisa didn't seem to be faring any better though—she was quite pink in the face as she fidgeted with hands behind her back.

"I am," Lisa nodded. Although she was fidgeting, she kept her eyes on Chaeyoung and now even tried out her cocky smirk. "Did you miss me, princess?" she asked playfully.

Chaeyoung nodded—there was no use in pretending. "Yes, I did," she said honestly, watching Lisa's eyes widen. "I thought something might happen and...and..."

Out of nowhere Lisa took Chaeyoung's hand and went down on one knee, pressing Chaeyoung's palm to the crown of her head as she held it with her own hand. Chaeyoung had to marvel at the difference in size—Lisa's big hand almost eclipsing her own small dainty palm but Lisa held her hand reverently, handling it like it was precious china.

"Apologies for being tardy, Chaeyoung," Lisa said softly. Her eyes were earnest, searching Chaeyoung's gaze. "And forgive me for worrying you as well. But know that one way or another, I was going to return to your side. It's a promise that I won't ever take lightly."

And instead of the butterflies swarming in her stomach, Chaeyoung felt her heart settle as warmth spread to every inch of her body, from her head to the tip of her toes. Lisa's words were a soothing balm, cloaking her in comfort like a fluffy blanket on a harsh winter day and after so many dark days of waiting and uncertainty, Chaeyoung finally felt spring bloom in her heart.

Chaeyoung knelt level with Lisa and cupped her face, studying it as she brushed over the captain's cheeks with her thumbs. She savoured the sensation of Lisa's skin beneath her fingertips, aware of Lisa freezing and standing still but she didn't speak, too concentrated on scrutinising Lisa.

Lisa was bemused and stayed quiet, curiosity etched in her eyes as Chaeyoung clicked her teeth.

"You've gotten thin," Chaeyoung said in concern, mouth drooping at the corners, "your cheeks...and these scratches..." she lightly ran her fingers over several shallow lines near her temple, flinching at the vivid image of a sword swinging too close for comfort. "Did they hurt?"

Lisa's face was indeed pinched and rather hollow, losing the healthy roundness. Even her hair had lost its shine. Her face was scored with several scratches, token of her fighting.

Lisa chuckled lightly. "Well it was no walk in the park for sure, if you'll pardon the pun—"

"Did it hurt?" Chaeyoung asked again, quieter. She wasn't going to fall for Lisa's sidestepping tactics anymore.

Lisa stared before shaking her head. "Not particularly. You don't even notice them. They're only scratches..." she paused at Chaeyoung's intense stare. "I missed home," she admitted. "That ached more than some mere scratch. It was constant and persistent and I only forgot it in the heat of battle. But I'm here now. I'm not going anywhere." And softer, she added: "Not without you."

Before Chaeyoung could react Lisa cleared her throat, her cocky smirk slipping back on with ease as though she hadn't just expressed a tender declaration. "Anyway, I'm not exactly in peak condition right now princess, but it's nothing a little fattening up at the banquet tonight won't fix."

"There's a banquet?" Chaeyoung said indignantly, forgetting everything else. "Nobody said anything! They didn't even tell me you're here! When did you get back?"

"Not long ago. I came straight here because...well, that's where they told me you'd be. I didn't even take a bath, I'm probably smelly."

"One would say you stink as a matter of fact," Chaeyoung snorted, laughing louder when Lisa gasped.

"Princess cut me some slack, I just returned after long months of campaigning," Lisa groaned, secretly delighted when Chaeyoung laughed. And just like that, the veil of awkwardness around them lifted and they were back to bickering as usual.

But Lisa was determined not to stall on her decision anymore so before Chaeyoung got up, Lisa quickly took hold of her hands and looked at her intently.

"Chaeyoung we should talk. Privately," Lisa said, speaking a little fast as she rushed to heap out her intentions. "About everything. Meet me at the stables in an hour. I'll go have a bath and...yeah?"

"Shouldn't you rest?" Chaeyoung asked in concern, "you just came after a three days' march following a long time of battling, you should lie down for a bit—"

But Lisa shook her head stubbornly. "I'm fine, don't worry."

"Alright," Chaeyoung said quietly. Maybe she too realised what Lisa was implying and her heart, which had calmed down after the initial excitement, sped up again.

Finally she would get the answers she wondered about for so long. Would she like the truth? Was she ready to accept it and possibly have everything between them shift? Was she ready for her and Lisa to take the next step?

"We'll make it in time for the banquet," Lisa assured, thinking Chaeyoung was worried about the time.

"I don't care," Chaeyoung blurted. She wanted to take all the time in the world right now and being late for a banquet, no matter how tempting the prospect of guzzling food was, getting answers was more important.

"But...you'll miss out on food?" Lisa said puzzled. She frowned, eyes narrowing. "You haven't been eating much yourself, Chaeyoung," she said, her voice a little stern as she took in Chaeyoung's appearance. Her heart gave a painful twist when she noted the tight jaw and deflated swell of Chaeyoung's hips, far less curvy than Lisa remembered.

Chaeyoung turned her gaze to the ground, flustered. "I...didn't have much appetite lately..."

She was scared Lisa would ask questions and she would be forced to explain the reason: waiting for Lisa had her lose her usual ravenous hunger because of the constant worries troubling her. She suspected Cookie must have noticed or at least Jennie or Jisoo or even Seulgi but was grateful they didn't bring it up. 

Lisa watched her intently for a moment as she came to a decision. "Well make sure to eat later alright? I won't rest until you've eaten more than three chicken drumsticks, got that? Or else we're going to the doctor."

Chaeyoung rolled her eyes, secretly melting at Lisa's insistence that she sustained herself. "Since when did you get to order me around—"

"Since I came back," Lisa fired back with a grin as she cocked her head. "You know, I missed this, princess. Just us going at each other..." She peered around her with a smile. "I knew I'd leave the garden in good hands."

"Hmm I had no idea you were even interested in this sort of thing."

"I wasn't," Lisa answered outright, "but it grew on me, as some things are wont to do when you stop to appreciate them. Wouldn't you agree?"

Chaeyoung wondered if Lisa was also talking about themselves, about how they had gradually mellowed and rubbed off the corners of their thorny attitudes around each other, eventually discovering that nestled in the centre was a kernel of softness, protected by layers of armour that were being peeled off slowly, one at a time.

Chaeyoung felt that she was close enough to tearing it all down but she had to wait a little while longer for Lisa to catch up at her own pace. She was ready, but she would wait.

"Hmm. So did you miss me at all?" Chaeyoung asked playfully instead of Lisa's question.

Lisa's gaze gave her shivers, the good kind where she felt little pleasurable jolts shooting up her spine. She tried to keep eye contact, watching the captain's eyes crinkle at the corners.

"No," Lisa replied, "I missed you the most, princess."

And without another word she turned on her heel, leaving a dumbstruck Chaeyoung in her wake.

>

"Does Jisoo know?" Chaeyoung asked. Her voice was muffled because she was speaking into Lisa's back. Lisa could feel the vibrations of her voice along her shoulder blade, coupled with the tight grip Chaeyoung had around her waist. 

"I'm sure she'll put two and two together very quickly," Lisa said evenly but Chaeyoung caught the smirk in her voice.

"You didn't tell her we're taking Fumir?!" 

At sound of his name, Fumir the griffin squawked beneath them, swooping in the sky as Lisa laughed. Chaeyoung clung tightly, partly thrilled at the rapid rate they were climbing and partly scared of Jisoo's potential wrath later because Jisoo treated her griffin like treasure and rarely let anyone near him in fear of someone stealing him. He was a massive tawny feathered beast with a huge wingspan that Jisoo had saved once as a baby. He was believed to be one of the last few griffins roaming around. Although Chaeyoung had been dying to ride him, she was rather intimidated by his wickedly sharp beak and talons. 

Lisa had approached the creature almost brazenly and Fumir had immediately nuzzled against her chest, evidently used to Lisa as Chaeyoung hung back. Lisa held her hand as she hesitantly reached out to touch Fumir, trying very hard to maintain eye contact with his large yellow eyes, just as Lisa instructed. All had gone well because Fumir seemed to accept her and graciously allowed her to pat his beak and stroke his feathery chest.

Lisa fixed his saddle on and once they were settled in place, Lisa tugged on the reins and kicked gently. Fumir spread his wings and with an eerie blast, swept off the ground, the whoosh of its wings startling Chaeyoung and making her cling to Lisa, who only laughed.

"She'll be huffy no doubt but she'll understand," Lisa called over her shoulder to allay Chaeyoung's worries. "Leo is dead tired, he needs his rest so I'm sure she'll understand. Besides, Fumir is a smart little shit, I'm sure he won't get caught."

As though he understood, Fumir went into a nose dive which had Chaeyoung shouting before he abruptly plateaued and climbed altitude again.

"What was that?" Chaeyoung gasped, clutching her heart. She was dumbfounded to hear Lisa chuckling.

"I told you, he's a cocky little shit. He knows what I'm saying, don't you big guy?"

Chaeyoung wasn't sure if she should believe Lisa but Fumir seemed to be nodding to what she said. Turning her attention away towards the surrounding landscape, she gawked in delight at land spread out between her.

"Lisa it's like a map!"

She could see as far as the coast where there was sea going on for miles. Patchworks of green broken by rivers and settlements rolled beneath them as they headed towards a spot Lisa had in mind for them to talk properly without anyone seeing them.

The sun setting in the distance, colouring the sky like a canvas with watercolours in hues of purple, oranges and red. Chaeyoung wished she had an easel so she could capture this particular sunset, with the sun dipping down into the water like a round yellow ball sinking in the sea.

She turned her gaze to Lisa, eyes softening as she watched the captain focus on her driving without losing that broad smile she missed so much. Lisa's striking profile caught dying rays of the sun and for the umpteenth time, Chaeyoung found herself admiring Lisa's features, committing each detail to memory.

"You like flying a lot, huh?" Chaeyoung asked.

"One of the best feelings in the world, Park Chaeyoung," Lisa affirmed happily. If Chaeyoung had inquired as to what other feeling would be included as the best, Lisa might have added that amongst others, having a certain blonde snuggled up to her would be somewhere in that list, close to the top.

They landed at a small bluff on the outskirts of the forest, overlooking the sea and the setting sun. It was a picturesque location and rather romantic at that, making Chaeyoung shake her head to rid herself of the thought.

Lisa gave Fumir two hard taps on his haunches and the griffin launched into the air with a flap of its powerful wings, screeching.

"How are we going to get back then?" Chaeyoung questioned.

"Not to worry, I can summon him with a whistle and besides, he likes to roam around and catch something to eat. He's smart too, he won't get caught. I pity more the person who tries to catch him or shoot him down than Fumir himself," Lisa reassured. "But I figured you'd want the privacy without birdbrain tagging along."

"Lisa he's just a griffin, it's not like he's going to understand and tell anyone," Chaeyoung giggled but secretly pleased she had Lisa all to herself with nothing to preoccupy them.

Lisa shrugged as she plopped herself down on the grassy verge. "Well, he's a greedy pig too and I don't want him anywhere near our food. Sometimes I wonder if he's a pig in bird feathers."

"Lisa!" Chaeyoung laughed. She now noticed the other girl had a small basket in her hands, reminding her of the time Lisa took her to the beach with a packed picnic. The first time, Lisa had taken her to the beach was as an apology for being a jerk.

Times had changed since then, but Chaeyong's heart swelled as she recognised the bowl with golden threads that Lisa brought out and was currently scooping rice into.

"You kept it?" she said in awe as she joined Lisa on the grass.

"Hm? Oh, my bowl? Well sure," Lisa said nonchalantly. "You made it for me. And it's quite a sturdy bowl. Kept me company when I was away, and served me well. No a drop of water or grain of rice to waste."

"You took it with you?" Chaeyoung said dumbfounded.

Lisa's ears turned pink as she nodded and cleared her throat. "Now eat up, I sneaked some food while Cookie was busy elsewhere, they're going all out for tonight. Some sumptuous pigs being served up, yum."

"Will you do a speech? Or regale us with an account of your exploits?" Chaeyoung asked as she heartily dug into some gimbap rolls. Her appetite, dulled by Lisa's absence, returned with a vengeance. Lisa didn't seem to mind, actually looking satisfied watching Chaeyoung dig into the food with gusto.

"Sure. Would you like to hear an exclusive snippet? Or maybe I should give you the full run-down of events and tell me if it sounds epic enough." Lisa winked before she launched into her story telling with Chaeyoung listening spell-bound. 

Lisa made for a compelling story-teller, narrating and even acting out some scenes with her sword, her actions dramatic and exaggerated for comic relief. War is a dismal topic to speak about during cheery celebrations, but Lisa was able to find the comic even in tragedy, tactfully describing the anecdotes that she went through. She only went over the more gloomy aspect of her time away when Chaeyoung shrewdly asked about it, knowing full well how Lisa was trying to protect her.

Chaeyoung had made for a good audience: she laughed and clapped at Lisa's silly antics but turned sombre and grave when Lisa described in detail the grim hardships she and her army endured. But she cheered up again when Lisa described how the tide of battle shifted with Seulgi and the fresh platoon of soldiers' arrival.

Lisa plopped down next to her once she finished, basking in Chaeyoung's enthusiastic applause as she regained her breath after her re-enactment. "So, what do you think?"

"It's going to bring down the place, especially if Seulgi and Joy and Yeri join you," Chaeyoung smiled. "Everyone will riot."

"Do you think Jisoo would appreciate if I impersonated her? Give her a little cameo you know?" Lisa wondered before sitting up straighter and talking in a high-pitched voice, waving her finger. " _Manoban you better have one hundred percent success rate or else I'm throwing your ass off the payroll and demoting you. No pressure."_

The sun went down as they laughed while Lisa did worse and worse impressions of Jisoo until they were in stitches, holding their sides with tears in their eyes.

"Oh sun's gone down," Chaeyoung noted, wiping her ears. The sky was still light, with the food all gone now but still Chaeyoung had plenty of room to spare for later.

But before that, they still had to talk properly.

Chaeyoung bit her lip, turning to Lisa who seemed to have come to the same conclusion as a peaceful silence fell, punctuated with sounds of forest birds settling in for the night.

"Where do I start, Chaeyoung?" Lisa broke the silence first. 

She was leaning back propped up on her arms, watching Chaeyoung with her head tilted to the side, her eyes gently inviting. There was no delaying or stalling—Lisa was determined to bring out everything to the table. She was ready for Chaeyoung.

Chaeyoung swallowed. _Now or never._

"Why did you start the garden?"

 _Yes, that was a good, safe start to segue into more meatier questions_ _and it would help Lisa to relax more._ Chaeyoung could sense how tense Lisa was holding herself, as though bracing for impact, despite her effort to be relaxed in front of her. But Chaeyoung knew better and thus she didn't dive off the deep-end straight away, mindful of Lisa's feelings.

Lisa smiled quietly, grateful for the more innocuous question. "You liked flowers and going out to buy them from the market, without always finding something to your liking, was growing to be a tedious chore, not to mention frustrating too. So...thought I'd do something about it. It became my personal project. And it wasn't as bad as I thought at first. I asked around a lot, and some poor flowers didn't survive right away as I muddled along. But eventually I got the hang of it. I even have done some grafts and with luck next summer, we might even get to have our own plums and peaches in our garden."

"Our garden?" Chaeyoung breathed.

Lisa's eyes crinkled. "Well you're little Miss Green Thumbs right? It's as much my garden as it is yours, Chaeyoung."

"But will you still do your things there?" Chaeyoung insisted, heart twanging madly. Lisa seemed to be unaware of the effect her words had on her. "I don't want to take over when you worked so hard to get it started in the first place."

"Yes I will still have my own patch. We'll share, like friends do. We can garden together. How does that sound?"

"Sounds...good," Chaeyoung said shyly. _Our garden. Our garden. Our garden._ She could't understand why the thought gave her such pleasure. Possibly, it was the promise of a future where Lisa was present in close proximity and never too far from Chaeyoung, safe in their own little green haven. 

It sounded perfect. They would bicker and snap at each other as they were used to doing and then gift each other flowers and eat some delicious fruit in the shade. And maybe Lisa would rest her head on Chaeyoung's shoulders. Or vice versa. And Chaeyoung would close her eyes to savour the sensation of her favourite person rubbing against her, alive and safe, away from any war.

Chaeyoung curled up her legs and rested her chin on her knees, watching dusk gradually paint over the remaining gorgeous pink and purples wisps of the sunset sky. She even spotted some stars peeking out, twinkling down at them.

"Princess, you know....ever wondered why I wasn't so fazed by your obsession to take down the royals back when we caught you red-handed?" Lisa asked.

Chaeyoung frowned. _Well, that took a turn._ "Umm...I just thought you didn't care about anything except yourself?"

Lisa gave a chuckle. "Perhaps there's a grain of truth in that. But actually....it's because I saw myself in you. On some level, I understood what you were going through."

Chaeyoung stared before she gave an uncertain laugh. "What do you mean, you saw yourself in me? You wanted to take down the royal family before?"

"Well not Goryeo's royal family exactly..." When Chaeyoung looked confused, Lisa sighed. "Bear with me. This involves Hanaju's cult too."

"They called you the lost heir," Chaeyoung recalled suddenly. "Why?"

Lisa pursed her mouth. "All in a good time..." She looked away towards the horizon. Chaeyoung followed her gaze at well , sensing they were about to tread upon a sensitive subject and that maybe she had touched a nerve.

"Lisa—"

"No, it's alright. I have to do this but it's not any easier. You're the first person to know, outside of Jisoo. Maybe Jisoo told Jennie as well because she tells her everything...but you're the first one hearing it from me...." Lisa fidgeted in the grass next to her before sitting up and turning her body towards Chaeyoung. "To make you understand, I think we have to go back a few years....before I was even born."

Chaeyoung's eyes grew round but she turned her body to face Lisa as well, their crossed knees almost brushing against each other.

"So...so you know how I wasn't born here..." Lisa said. She rubbed the back of her neck almost shyly and Chaeyoung followed the movement.

Chaeyoung wet her lips. "You're from Siam...so does that make you Siamese, like the cats?"

"Ha ha, very droll," Lisa deadpanned but her mouth had briefly quirked up at the corner. "Uhm...what do you know about...Siam royal hierarchies?"

"Zilch."

Lisa nodded. "Fair enough. In reality there isn't much to know regarding my story except that there's the King and the Queen Consort at the top and so on through an assortment of court people until down below at the very bottom of the pile, the lowest rung, lower even than the kitchen maids, you have the concubines."

Chaeyoung wanted to reach out and touch Lisa's hands, or her leg—anything that would be of comfort to erase the desolate gleam in her eyes. "Lisa..."

Lisa gave a lopsided smile. "I suppose you can add two and two together. Yes, my mother was a concubine to his royal highness, the King of Siam. And I am his bastard child, his only heir, since the Queen consort as far as I know hasn't borne him any children."

Chaeyoung's mouth dropped open, blinking as she took in this information. 

_Lisa was a princess._

_Lisa was actually a real princess by blood. The irony of her calling Chaeyoung 'princess'._

"Well but I thought concubines and their children would be recognised by the King, especially if the queen hasn't borne him children? Isn't that one of the reasons concubines are kept around too? To produce heirs?"

"On paper," Lisa agreed with a toss of her head, "but real-life politics work different. The Queen was immensely jealous and outraged to learn my mother was pregnant. And as she had done with previous concubines who fell pregnant, she sent assassins to kill her in her sleep after secretly driving her out of the palace. The king was a useless turd and never lifted a finger. I have no doubt he knew exactly what was going on but didn't really bother. From what I heard, he's the hedonistic type and doesn't much care for the crown."

"Oh...Lisa..." Chaeyoung covered her mouth in distress. "Did your mom make it out alright? How long had she been pregnant with you?"

"Six months, or so I'm told. I was born premature too, on the streets. Barely made it," Lisa said, her voice dull. "I owe my life to a foreign European merchant who took pity on my mother and took her in, even though he could have been murdered since he was sheltering a fugitive and he was also a foreigner. He housed her, fed her and looked after her and after me when I was born. I only know his name: Marco."

Lisa raised her hands to her neck and took out the necklace that Chaeyoung had never seen her take off. The chain had a small round piece of metal attached to it.

"Here," Lisa said, handing the chain to her, "this was like the seal of the king of Siam. People in his service wore this emblem to show they were his property. Mother kept this and scratched Marco's name on the other side. I think she wanted me to consider him my true father."

Chaeyoung lit up a jet of orange flame with one hand to see better as she ran her fingers soberly over the rough, chipped edges of the small seal, a little bigger than her thumbnail. Strange markings in a foreign tongue had her squinting to decipher it better. "You can read this?"

"Just that one word, it just says 'Marco'."

"Ever tried finding him again?" Chaeyoung asked, handing the necklace back. 

"Well you see, the assassins found us one day," Lisa said softly. The small ball of fire cast flickering shadows across her face. "I don't remember all this of course. I was...three? Four? Yes, they were still after me, years later. Anyway, I'm told that I was playing outside at the back of Marco's residence. They killed my mother. Marco came running out of the backdoor, picked me up and jumped on the nearest horse then galloped away and came to the consul of Goryeo's residence who happened to be Jisoo's father. He had been friends with Marco and aware of the situation, thus he had been prepared. Marco left me there along with my mother's emblem and a letter addressed to me that he had kept in case such a day were to arise, detailing everything that my mother told him and of his affection for both me and my mother..."

Lisa gnashed her teeth and rolled her eyes skywards as Chaeyoung watched in anguish, torn between pulling Lisa in hug or letting her go on with her outpouring of grief. She had a hunch that Lisa was revealing this part of her history for the first time, making her heart ache for the younger girl all the more.

"Marco called me his daughter and expressed his desire to have seen me grow up and spent time together," Lisa croaked. "But it wasn't meant to be. Marco gave himself up to protect me and throw people off our trail. For all everyone knows, the heir of Siam ceased to exist that day. I became the Consul's youngest daughter." Lisa lowered her head, her smile crooked and wrong. "Jisoo's father, Daesung, gave me the letter to read when I was ten. He waited that long because he felt he should not burden me with tragedy at such a young age. I had always believed to be a part of Jisoo's family...until then."

Chaeyoung opened her arms hesitantly but when Lisa only stared, she feebly pretended to stretch.

"Is that why you...rebelled a lot?" Chaeyoung ventured delicately, remembering Jisoo and Jennie mentioning Lisa going through a pubescent rebellious stage.

"Partly," Lisa nodded, "but later also because of my feelings of inadequacy next to Jisoo. She had everything, I had nothing. But first order of business: I wanted revenge on the royal family of Siam."

Her smile turned wry. "Does that ring a bell?"

"Like me," Chaeyoung said in awe, "you were like me."

"There we go, princess," Lisa grinned. "I knew what you were going through and I admired your gutsy fearlessness to carry out your goal. I resolved to watch over you closely, to ensure nobody hurt you while you were detained."

"That's why you never really punished me like the other guards..." Chaeyoung's head was reeling.

"Well that and you were my soldier after all," Lisa added softly, "you were my responsibility. I couldn't just let those bastards maltreat you. But I had to be more subtle about it so...I'm sorry if it wasn't enough at the time. I often wonder if I should have done more when you were in those dungeons..."

"I think you did what you could," Chaeyoung said carefully, "although maybe some kinder words would have been appreciated. But still....thank you. You stood up for me later and vouched for me too."

Lisa's face melted into a grateful smile. "You're welcome, princess."

"Isn't it ironic that you call a nobody like me princess? Should I start calling you princess too? Or how about...my liege?" Chaeyoung tried teasing lightly.

Lisa grimaced. "Don't even think about it. I had gone around with this idea in my head that I would cause the revolution and kill the King and Queen to avenge my mother and Marco and then maybe... take over Siam so that Jennie would notice me and be best friends with me, instead of with Jisoo." She shook her head. "I was such an idiotic little squirt."

"A bit endearing though," Chaeyoung mused, thinking of an angry pre-pubescent and pimpled tween charging into a foreign palace waving a toy sword to instigate a revolution, all to impress a girl. "I can just picture you trying that."

Once again, Lisa grimaced. "I was headstrong, reckless and stupid and obsessed. A recipe for disaster. I wanted to do something grand so Jennie would notice me properly and take me seriously. So....I snooped around until I stumbled upon the cult. They seemed like the perfect solution. Thinking about what could have happened gives me the creeps. And then when they kidnapped you, I was scared they did it to lure me back. I wouldn't forgive myself if they did something to you on account of my stupidity, Chaeyoung." She was shaking like a leaf in a gale. "I...I can't lose you..."

Chaeyoung finally slipped her hands in Lisa's, rubbing her thumb all over Lisa's cool fingers. "I'm here. We're both here."

"I'm sorry," Lisa whimpered, "gods, I'm so sorry." Without warning she leaned into Chaeyoung's shoulders, hiding her face. Chaeyoung wasn't sure how to react but she settled for lightly stroking Lisa's back, feeling Lisa slowly relax against her. She waited in silence, spotting Fumir gliding across the mirror-smooth surface of the sea in the distance. Thankfully, although the sun had set a while ago, it was warm and still quite light out, owing to the summer season.

"When they took you, I thought it was my fault," Lisa whispered, raising her face. "And maybe it is, in a way. I'm sure if I paid them mind, they would try to use us both. They still know who I am, they haven't forgotten. They never approached me again but I dread to think what uproar would be caused if they spread the word that I have royal blood. Siam's head bitch in charge might send people after me again, who knows."

"Like you couldn't deal with them," Chaeyoung smirked, referring to Lisa's fighting prowess. Lisa's lips twitched up in a weak smile.

"It's not me I'm worried about. It would be but a minor annoyance to deal with. What I'm more afraid, Chaeyoung, is them targeting _you_ to get to _me."_

Chaeyoung never saw that coming. She blinked, startled. "Me? Why?"

Frustratingly, Lisa only shrugged her shoulders. "Because we're friends, I suppose."

Something about Lisa's neutral tone and the word 'friends' stung, but Chaeyoung didn't dwell on it long—she had more questions to ask.

"How would the cult use you?" she said, still bemused about Lisa's importance to the cult. "So you're a heir to a foreign land. What's their connection to you?"

"They could use me to brew anarchy and instigate a coup with claims to be installing the rightful heir of Siam." Lisa raised her face, bone dry, but her mouth drooped. "It's what they had offered when I went to them. They offered to help me get the throne back in Siam and then take over Goryeo in one fell swoop."

"That....doesn't sound very viable? The current king of Goryeo can barely keep the whole country together."

Lisa snorted. "Right? But it all sounded easy to me back then. And Hanaju's cult probably had ulterior motives to use me. I'm suspecting some backhanded moves would have been made but the end result would be chaos. It's what they're good at."

"Was it them? On the coast?" Chaeyoung asked. Lisa shrugged.

"Not sure but possibly. Some people we caught said they helped, others swore up and down they hadn't. Either way, I think the game's afoot and we have to be careful of some new uprising. Causing chaos is their thing."

"In the face of chaos there is also opportunity," Chaeyoung said optimistically.

Lisa's mouth quirked up at the corners. "Sun Tzu?"

Chaeyoung chuckled. "You know it too? Jisoo made me learn his quotes by memory."

"Yeah me too." She was quiet for a moment before she picked up again. "I'm here largely due to Jisoo's family. Her father took me in, she made me her friend and taught me everything I know. And she saved me from the cult too. Shook me up and woke me up from my craziness."

Lisa sighed, brows furrowing. "Wasn't enough to wake me completely though. Granted, maybe some deep part of me was thankful to her for putting a stop to my ridiculous plans because I knew I was mad to attempt anything especially with the help of such notorious and dangerous people. Her father helped to banish them from the capital and to enact a decree that made them public enemies of the state to keep us all safe. But at the time I just took her interventions to be annoying and intrusive, wanting me to stop from shining above her. So...that little nugget of resentment simmered away under the surface..."

Chaeyoung didn't need to ask what happened next: how Lisa's resentment morphed into jealousy and envy as they grew older, eventually reaching a breaking point and causing Jisoo's capture. How Jennie mourned for Jisoo, losing all grip on reality and allowing for her power-hungry brother to rise up the ranks and seize more control. How Lisa was banished and acquired her curse because of her disregard for celestial courtesy.

She waited in silence for Lisa to continue or conclude, she had no idea of what the girl was going to say.

"Chaeyoung sometimes....sometimes I think I only bring misfortune and...and trouble, to the people around me," Lisa said miserably. "I'm a bad omen. A rotten apple. I'm probably the gods' favourite plaything, considering the scrapes I go through and how much trouble crops up around me."

Chaeyoung remembered what Lisa told her long ago about the gods taking pleasure from their strife. But before she could refute Lisa's claims, Lisa picked up again, her voice earnest. "Think about it. It's like from birth, I was destined for people around me to die, or be hurt, or be plagued by trouble. My mother, Marco, Jisoo's father, Jisoo and Jennie. Seulgi lost her girl. You got kidnapped. Yeri got injured and Joy nearly lost her."

Lisa bowed her head. "Sometimes...maybe I deserved to die, back when I was a kid. Or maybe Hanaju's cult saw the dark miasma or something about me and they knew I fit their agenda—"

"No."

Chaeyoung didn't hesitate: she wrapped her arms round Lisa's neck, hauling her close until they were touching foreheads. Lisa sat perfectly still, eyes gleaming as she gazed back at Chaeyoung underneath the darkening sky.

"You're not something someone else decides that you are. That is up to you." Chaeyoung said quietly. "A wise woman told me that and now I'm saying it back to you."

_"Get up!" Lisa said harshly. "You want to show them that they're right? Get up! Show them who you really are! A warrior! Not some weakling who's a pushover! You're not something they decide. Only you get to do that! The fight is never over if you stand up!"_

Chaeyoung smiled as the memories of training with Lisa flooded back. Lisa seemed to have cottoned on as well, judging by her wide eyes. 

"Lalisa Manoban, I don't care what anyone says. I don't care if the gods hate you. I have seen you, and you're not the rotten apple you think you are. And you know that too. You think pushing people away will be the answer to save them from you but it isn't. Life can be terrible that way but we can't help it. You know this too, because you're still here and you still care about everyone. Well, I'm here as well, and I'm not going anywhere." 

Her hand came up to cup Lisa's cheek. "Nothing really bad can happen as long as we stick together, don't you think? I'll loan you some of my luck, if that's really troubling you," she added, to finish off lightly.

She felt a quiver of mirth rush through Lisa's body. "How generous, I'll take you up on the offer then," Lisa quipped. Her warm breath hit Chaeyoung's face but nobody moved back from the middle, their foreheads still touching. It was oddly comforting.

 _I can't imagine a world without you,_ Chaeyoung wanted to say, her heart breaking over and over as she replayed Lisa's forlorn words. But she didn't say anything: the silence was too sacred to end just yet.

So she stayed quiet, focusing on Lisa's comforting presence, always larger than life and reassuringly solid.

Despite their close proximity, Chaeyoung's heart was fluttering along regularly, albeit at a more heightened speed. But otherwise, she was at peace, her eyes slipping close as she inadvertently hummed under her breath, taking in Lisa's fresh clothes scent. Moments later, she realised Lisa was also humming in reply, echoing her.

The thought made her smile and open her eyes to meet Lisa's crescent shaped crinkled eyes. They hummed back and forth, pushing against each other's foreheads with noses sometimes brushing, gusts of mirth escaping them in little snorts. Before long, it had turned into a competition of who could do a louder hum and push harder. They swayed back and forth crazily like a ship rolling in a storm before eventually collapsing in a heap of giggles.

"We should head back before it gets more dark, dusk won't last forever," Lisa said at abruptly, brushing her legs and getting to her feet as she held a hand out for Chaeyoung. "But first, I need to fill up my canteen. There's a watering-hole close by so we can go there on foot for refills before I call Fumir."

Chaeyoung frowned as she took Lisa's hands and hauled herself up.

_But they still had things to discuss. The kiss for example, and the invisible wall that didn't allow Chaeyoung to get too close to Lisa. Lisa's words of implication, her lingering gazes, her soft gestures..._

_The feeling of teetering over an edge._

Chaeyoung resigned herself to the possibility that this was all she was getting for today. Lisa had opened up a lot and it can't have been easy to spill out all the secrets she had been carrying around without Chaeyoung even realising.

Chaeyoung swallowed her disappointment and helped Lisa pack up their basket before following her into the foliage of the darkening forest, conjuring up a bright ball of fire to light the way.

>

"We're here," Lisa announced as the emerged from the trees and arrived at the banks of a sizeable lake. Several rock formations had fresh water gushing from fissures, feeding into the lake. A small stream then led away from the watering-hole and on through the forest.

Lisa crouched down to fill up her canteen of water, glancing in Chaeyoung's direction. Her heart felt somewhat easier after telling Chaeyoung about her background but she could sense the palpable disappointment from spot where Chaeyoung walked to get her water. Lisa watched her now as she bent to cup water and splash her face with it.

Lisa sighed, knowing full well why Chaeyoung seemed to be giving her a wide berth. They had been going so well, picked up a flow as Lisa bared her secrets and Chaeyoung was there to catch her and reassure her, exactly as Lisa had imagined she would.

And then she had to ruin it by being too restless and anxious to confess. Lisa was a girl of action and not many words. She had spoken a lot and it was as though an unconscious barrier fell down and ordained that a change of location was needed, movement was necessary. Although Lisa wanted very much to continue her discussion, her body didn't listen. 

Lisa was always primed to move on instinct and it was what saved her many times during her battles.

_But right now, she wasn't on the run from an enemy. Right now she could relax because she was with Chaeyoung, her safe place and her home. She needed to learn how to stop and settle, how to walk slower and savour her moments of happiness with Chaeyoung. She needed to tear down the invisible wall between them, thin and fragile but still solid._

Lisa glanced up again, catching Chaeyoung looking at her before the girl turned away quickly.

 _How to get her to speak to me again? How to make her see?_ Lisa wondered.

>

Chaeyoung was busy working up a storm of doubts as she watched Lisa sitting up, with still no attempt on her part to open a conversation again.

 _What if Lisa isn't ready? What if we were all wrong and just read signs that weren't really there?_ Chaeyoung wondered. _What if we just wanted them to be real and projected our desires? Jisoo, Seulgi, Jennie, Joy....is it possible we were all wrong?_

No. Be patient. Just wait. Maybe Lisa is waiting for a sign too, the right moment to open up again.

But in which case, should she take the leap of faith and go for it instead, to gently ease Lisa into the discussion?

However she didn't get much chance to ponder a course of action because when she looked up next, Lisa was watching her.

Lisa grinned and stood up abruptly, abandoning her pack as she ran straight at Chaeyoung before veering to the side and barrelling straight into the foliage, yelling: "Watch this princess!"

Chaeyoung stared as moments passed, with Lisa rustling in the bushes out of sight, then all fell silent. A pregnant pause followed which Chaeyoung broke by calling out uncertainly.

"Umm Lisa...if you're going to try and scare me, don't blame me if I burn you!"

More silence.

Until without warning, Lisa hurtled out of trees clinging on to a vine, ululating at the top of her lungs. Chaeyoung fell to the side as Lisa dropped in the water with a thunderous splash, disappearing from the surface.

"Lisa!" Chaeyoung crawled to the brink of the ledge where she had been sitting and peered into the water, trying to spot Lisa underwater. Owing to darkness and the canopy of trees covering much of the sky, she couldn't see Lisa anywhere.

Just as she was beginning to worry, a low frothing sound came from just in front of her.

Lisa surged up from the depths and Chaeyoung only had a chance to glimpse the mischievous broad grin pasted on her face before Lisa pulled her into the water, clothes and all.

Chaeyoung thrashed and struggled, popping out of the water like a cork as she gasped, heart crashing in her chest from shock. The water was cool, nowhere near cold but it was still enough to cuase her teeth to chatter from the sudden drop in temperature.

"Lisa!"

Lisa laughed, her bangs stuck to her forehead almost covering her eyes as she idly followed Chaeyoung to climb on dry ground.

"Isn't the water nice?" Lisa called as Chaeyoung successfully climbed on the ledge and stood drying herself with her power. It was a very useful skill she learned without setting her clothes on fire.

"Come on, what's the big deal? You already dried yourself," Lisa coaxed. "Your hair will dry soon too."

"It takes me longer to dry my hair!" Chaeyoung said, miffed.

"Aww princess grumpy," Lisa cooed, heaving herself over the ledge. She opened her arms wide. "Come dry me too."

"Not on your life!" Chaeyoung yelped as Lisa moved to throw her arms around her, an evil smirk on her face.

"I'm all wet for you Chaeyoung, please warm me," Lisa snickered. The innuendo was not lost on Chaeyoung who pushed Lisa away with surprising force. Lisa fell back in the pond with a yelp as Chaeyoung took to her heels and fled, laughing.

She knew she was in trouble now.

Lisa came lumbering after her as Chaeyoung ran blindly, laughing and gasping to get her breath in between.

"Chae you're gonna leave me like this?" Lisa shouted gamely as she gave chase. "You're gonna leave the conquering hero all sopping wet? I don't deserve to be treated like this, you know!"

"It's your fault in the first place!" Chaeyoung bellowed over her shoulder. She didn't reckon with Lisa's speed—the captain caught up to Chaeyoung soon after as Chaeyoung led them through a glade and then, out of breath, she turned to face Lisa in defeat. Lisa careened towards her at full tilt.

"Don't," Chaeyoung said feebly.

"Too late," Lisa crowed triumphantly as her hands landed on Chaeyoung's shoulders. "Tag, you're it, princess." She shook her ponytail like a wet dog, making Chaeyoung squeal and back away from her as she batted at Lisa.

"Stop it you goof stop it stop it or I swear I'll burn you—AHH!"

With the momentum of Lisa pushing and Chaeyoung backing away from her tormentor, they had inadvertently moved closer to a grassy slope where the forest dipped to the lowlands. Chaeyoung's foot found air and she slipped.

They tumbled down together as one, rolling over and over like a wheel down the slope amid laughter and squeals, just like children.

Finally, they juddered to a halt at the bottom, unharmed except for some new scrapes.

Chaeyoung opened her eyes, dazed to find Lisa half on top of her, an arm cradled behind her head protecting her from the fall. 

Even when they were play-fighting and then took a tumble without warning, Lisa was there to protect her. Without Lisa's arm cushioning her fall, she would have probably gotten a nasty bump to her head. Lisa had straightened up, giggling as she recovered and in that moment, Chaeyoung felt all her emotions swelling up like a wave before it crashes to shore and she knew it was time.

Before Lisa could react, Chaeyoung had reached up and pulled her face down to kiss her softly on her cheek, making Lisa freeze and stare at Chaeyoung, laughter dying abruptly in her throat.

"Princess?" Lisa whispered. She didn't move from her position half straddling Chaeyoung and Chaeyoung took that to be a good sign that Lisa wasn't going to run away.

She lifted her hand again to caress Lisa's cheek, warming the cool skin still damp from her dip. Lisa leaned into her touch, eyes falling shut in pleasure as Chaeyoung concentrated on spreading warmth throughout Lisa's body to dry out the sodden clothes. She felt a pinch of fondness when Lisa didn't open her eyes at all throughout the process, demonstrating her whole trust in Chaeyoung commanding her power without burning Lisa up from the inside with flames. 

When Chaeyoung finished, only Lisa's hair was still slightly damp at the tips. She was about to drop her hand when quick as a flash Lisa's own hand shot up to hold it in place as she slowly opened her eyes and locked gazes with Chaeyoung.

"Is it alright if we talk about us, now?" Chaeyoung asked. She loved Lisa's eyes, the way they immediately softened, reassuring her heart. 

Lisa leaned in closer as though she was about to share a secret."And what about us?" she breathed. Her gaze never left Chaeyoung's face, her eyes sprinkled with stars from the heavens.

"You kissed me once, before, and ran away," Chaeyoung said. Her thumb stroked Lisa's cheek, yearning to hear the answer that would soothe her fears. "Why?"

"Because I was a coward," Lisa replied immediately. "Because I wasn't brave enough to face up to the truth. But I am now."

"And what's the truth, Lisa?" Chaeyoung whispered. She saw it, she saw it all in Lisa's eyes and she hoped that she was conveying the answer back as she hung all her hopes out for Lisa to see.

But she wanted to hear Lisa say it first. Her eyes flickered to Lisa's puckered mouth before going back up, licking her own lips as the air between them thickened.

Lisa smiled, her whole face lighting up beneath her damp bangs. "I love you, Chaeyoung."

"Kiss me," Chaeyoung whispered.

And next second Lisa was kissing her like no tomorrow, and Chaeyoung was kissing back just as fiercely, clinging to her shirt. Lisa leaned further in until Chaeyoung was lying flat on her back, her arms circling around Lisa's neck as they surrendered themselves wholly to the truth.

For once, her thoughts and heart were one and kissing Lisa felt right, more than right: it was perfect, right where she needed to be. She knew it to be true for Lisa as well, rejoicing in the fact that Lisa had confessed and stayed this time round, kissing her with certainty. Even the world around them seemed in perfect harmony, falling silent and peaceful to allow them this moment of mutual confirmation. 

They had their answers now; they had laid their hearts bare for each to see, and now they had come together under a bright crescent moon that had just risen in the night sky.

Lisa kissed her, soft and slow, lingering with a small smile against Chaeyoung's lips and drawing out Chaeyoung's desire as a breathy sigh escaped her when Lisa stroked her hair. She arched her back in desperation, feverishly pressing closer as Lisa climbed on top of Chaeyoung to straddle her properly and molded her body to Chaeyoung's, like melting clay.

Chaeyoung tugged at Lisa's hair, combing through the tangles with her fingers. Her pounding heart drowned out everything except the sound of Lisa's low groan that escaped her when she bit down on her lip. Lisa didn't back down and worked her up steadily, strong fingers kneading on cloth-covered flesh as hungry mouths devoured each other eagerly. Passion flowed through Chaeyoung's veins, fuelling the fire in her gut that seared throughout her system taking her to the highest plane of pleasure she had ever known.

And she was still climbing to the peak with Lisa guiding her, just as affected and just as aroused as she herself was, going by her increased urgent fervour to capture Chaeyoung's mouth over and over, her grip tightening around her waist. Chaeyoung squirmed beneath Lisa as she craved for more friction, more of Lisa, more of her skin, more of her mouth kissing her everywhere.

She almost cried out in disappointment when Lisa abruptly pulled away, cupping her face with shaking hands as the sound of panting returned and air rushed in to fill up Chaeyoung, who gulped and sucked it in greedily. Her lungs burned but Chaeyoung didn't care—Lisa hovered above her, gazing down like she was the most precious gem she ever laid eyes on and Chaeyoung wanted to combust on the spot.

"I forgot...air...don't want...to suffo...cate...you," Lisa gasped out before Chaeyoung pulled her down again, scrabbling feverishly at her shirt to rip it off her as she kissed every inch of Lisa's face she could reach: nose, jaw, cheek, lips. Although Lisa was on top, the younger girl melted and groaned, propping herself up on her arms as Chaeyoung deposited a row of open-mouthed kisses down her throat. Lisa's quiet sighs turned high-pitched when Chaeyoung licked daringly at the skin between her collarbone and neck.

"Chaeng," Lisa croaked. Her tone was strained, warning Chaeyoung how close Lisa was to losing all self-control. "Chaeyoung I—agh!" 

Chaeyoung didn't listen as she nipped at Lisa's collarbone, humming when Lisa whined right in her ear. She laved the area with her tongue, breaking off with a sharp intake of breath when Lisa's knee suddenly moved between her thighs. She looked up quickly, thinking it was an accident but Lisa's smirk and her firmer brush of her knee against her crotch made Chaeyoung tighten into a knot as she tilted her head back, pleasure shooting up her spine.

The power dynamic had shifted back to Lisa again as she pinned down Chaeyoung's arms above her head. "My turn, princess," she growled. Her eyes glinted, igniting something primal within Chaeyoung as Lisa plunged down to capture her mouth, swift as an arrow.

And Chaeyoung was gone, her body burning with the sensation of Lisa's warm, wet lips moving against hers, skin tingling with yearning for more friction as the coiling sensation of her arousal mixed with her overflowing euphoria. All her senses were were going haywire in the best way; all she could taste, hear, smell and touch was Lisa, Lisa, Lisa...

"So beautiful," Lisa whispered as she left a trail of blazing kisses along Chaeyoung's jaw. Her relentless attack was offset by the tenderness with which she handled Chaeyoung, caressing her and touching her so softly it made Chaeyoung nearly weep. The tears that welled up in her eyes were kissed away by Lisa who understood and whispered lovingly in her ear, an endless flow of praises that Chaeyoung took in like oxygen that sustains her. 

Lisa's rough and gorgeously long fingers hovered over her body, waiting for permission to touch before it was given by Chaeyoung's eager nod. Lisa deftly untied the hanbok, taking her time with utmost gentleness to peer in Chaeyoung's eyes and make sure she was truly comfortable.

If Chaeyoung was burning with impatience, Lisa was exercising great restraint not to take Chaeyoung right there in the open. She wanted their first time to be special but for now, she craved a taste of Chaeyoung's flesh, a prelude to a far sweeter salvation that was yet to happen.

When Chaeyoung's cleavage came in view, milky skin glowing in moonlight, Lisa had take a moment to admire, despite the burning desire to quench the fire blazing in her stomach. Chaeyoung looked up at her, eyes gleaming with lust.

"Like what you see?" she asked lightly. A slight tremor in her hand gave away her nervousness and Lisa noticed, immediately comforting her as she entwined their hands together.

"I _love_ ," Lisa answered reverently before slowly lowering her face to kiss Chaeyoung on the mouth, reassuring her in between kisses— _I want you, I want you, I want you—_ until Chaeyoung had picked up the flow again and was kissing back with the same vigour. 

Lisa swiftly moved downwards, kissing down the column of Chaeyoung's throat as she made her way towards her cleavage, teasingly licking and nipping as she revelled in Chaeyoung's quiet sighs and breathy moans. She nosed through the valley between her breasts, kissing every portion of skin around it as Chaeyoung choked when Lisa's hand sneaked up to fondle one of her breasts.

"Lisa...more, _please_...." Chaeyoung arched up, taut as a bowstring when Lisa suckled gently, intent on unravelling the girl beneath her completely.

"Hmm..." Lisa said instead, maddening Chaeyoung who was clawing at the ground, unable to take the sensation of Lisa's tongue playing with her nipple any further. Lisa's nerves ignited when Chaeyoung's fingers suddenly snatched wildly at her hair, a guttural groan leaving Chaeyoung's lips as Lisa sucked particularly hard on the soft skin, enough to leave a mark.

"Lisa! Lisa! Lisa!" Chaeyoung chanted, eyes shut tight as she tugged in rhythm. Hearing her name called out with so much passion affected Lisa more than she expected, halting her actions as she wrestled with her body's reaction to Chaeyoung's cries, fighting to bring back the flame under control before it obliterated her.

But it was no use, Lisa knew there was no stopping the hungry fire craving to devour Chaeyoung if she didn't douse the flames quickly.

With great reluctance, Lisa sat up and pulled together the ties of the hanbok to cover Chaeyoung's chest from view, feeling her panting gradually slow down as Chaeyoung stared up at her with kiss-swollen lips, confused.

"Much as I'm enjoying this immensely, I'm afraid we have to put a temporary halt to our activity, princess," Lisa said gently. She felt light-headed and wiped the light sheen of perspiration from her forehead. "I'm scared that if we continue, we won't be able to stop at all."

"I don't want you to," Chaeyoung said with a frown, understanding what Lisa was implying perfectly fine. "I'm alright, you don't have to be afraid for me. I'm ready. I want this, I want you."

Lisa shook her head, resisting the urge to bend forward and claim her lips again. Chaeyoung's dangerous words and her blown pupils were testing her. "Chaeyoung, you deserve better than our first time together being out here. You deserve the best. And I want to make it special for you. I want to court you properly. No more dancing around each other. I want to be with you because you're just amazing, you know Chaeyoung? I missed you so much when I was away and I wanted to tell you everything before I left." 

"The flowers?" Chaeyoung asked, momentarily distracted. Lisa heaved a sigh.

"I was going to take you to the garden and...and let you know everything."

Chaeyoung pulled herself up so that she was sitting level with Lisa and her hand came up to cup Lisa's face. "We got there in the end," she comforted, "maybe we both needed this time away from each other to reflect and realise our feelings for each other. I missed you so much."

Chaeyoung hugged her just Lisa looped her arms round Chaeyoung as well, holding each other tightly as their hearts settled, their breaths quietening. Chaeyoung rested her dishevelled head on Lisa's shoulder, feeling the ache between her legs ebb away to a gentle simmer.

She couldn't help but feel quietly overjoyed at Lisa for wanting to wait and woo her properly before being intimate. This was different from the Lisa who was renowned for sleeping around: this was Lisa wanting to do things the right way, for Chaeyoung, because she loved her. It made Chaeyoung shed a silent tear of happiness as she burrowed against Lisa's shirt.

"Do we have to go back?" Chaeyoung asked quietly. "I...I want you to myself...just a little longer..."

Going back to the palace meant they would have to act like platonic acquaintances again, something Chaeyoung dreaded because now that she had kissed Lisa, there was no stopping the desire blooming like Lisa's garden in her chest. Chaeyoung wanted to touch her again, feel her again, kiss her and make her come undone like putty in her hands, just like Lisa had almost done.

Lisa closed her eyes, smiling as she stroked down Chaeyoung's back. "I may or may not have told Jisoo that we will be staying out for a while. We have all the time in the world, princess."

And so it was that they gathered themselves and returned to the pond where Lisa picked up the basket they had abandoned when she had her unexpected dip.

Then they wandered sedately hand in hand following the sound of the river until it emerged from the forest, with Chaeyoung conjuring a fireball to see better whilst walking through the foliage and extinguishing it once moonlight shone through. 

They strolled along the river banks in the moonlight, exchanging soft words and shy lingering kisses whenever they felt like it, giggling with light hearts and minds consumed with each other. Or else they fell quiet as they absorbed the events that just transpired, taking their time to reminisce, glancing at each other with adoration written in their eyes.

The night was calm, as were Chaeyoung's mind and soul when she leaned against Lisa's shoulder listening to her speak in her low voice. Lisa turned to her often, kissing her temple or rubbing her hand with her thumb, eyes gleaming as she kept an arm around Chaeyoung to hold her close.

"Chaeyoung look," Lisa pointed as tiny golden sparks flitted around them lazily in the balmy summer air.

"Fireflies," Chaeyoung smiled. Hundreds of tiny glowing fireflies filled the air, setting up an enchantingly romantic atmosphere. They leaned against a tree trunk, letting their gaze roam on the peaceful landscape, basking in their love.

"Does it feel like you're seeing everything for the first time?" Lisa said at length, her voice quiet. "I know it sounds...silly but...it's like I'm seeing things for the first time...I don't know how to explain. Jisoo was always the more eloquent one with her words. It's an indescribable feeling."

Chaeyoung almost cooed at her endearing attempt to explain her feelings. She pressed a kiss to Lisa's brow. "I think I understand perfectly what you mean. Love can make you feel like everything is new."

"Why?"

Chaeyoung shrugged. "Maybe it's because...everything is seen in a new light now. Right now, doesn't it feel so...so intoxicating and powerful? Like you're about to combust or melt into a puddle. Small things in life become somehow more vibrant and extraordinary they take on new meanings. Because being in love with the right person is extraordinary. Love is one of the most powerful forces in the universe..."

She paused, aware of Lisa's eyes watching her as she conjured tongues of fire in her palm. "I think love is its own brand of magic and anyone is capable of possessing it. Finding the right person and making it work together, that's the harder part."

She looked up at Lisa, a contented smile lighting up her face as Lisa stared at her in awe.

"I love you, Lisa," Chaeyoung said softly, "and I'm so happy we found each other. We didn't start out anywhere near being friends but seeing how far we came, how hard we worked on becoming better, the both of us...I think we were meant to be."

And Lisa beamed as she leaned forward and brushed her lips against Chaeyoung's. "Yeah? I reckon we were made to be as well, princess."

"Now you're just repeating me."

"I'm not! I do think so too!" Lisa insisted.

"Mhm."

"Come back here, you!"

Lisa gave chase as Chaeyoung scurried to get away from Lisa's merciless tickling but Lisa soon caught up, lifting her up in her arms and whirling them around, both of them laughing without a care in the world.

The road to happiness was fraught with strife; only now they could lean on each other to weather the obstacles that came their way. Hand in hand, the elemental and the captain were ready to stand together, their new bond providing strength to withstand the upcoming storm as rumbles of war loomed ever closer to home.

But for tonight, locked in each other's embrace, they could forget about war, about pain, about death.

For tonight, they were not soldiers: they were Chaeyoung and Lisa, two lovers in the gentle moonlight.


End file.
